Neoklis Avdalas committed to North Carolina on Monday, giving Michael Malone his first transfer portal commitment since taking over the Tar Heels. Avdalas announced the move on social media after one season at Virginia Tech.
The 6-foot-9 guard-forward was ranked No. 22 on The Athletic's list of the best players in the transfer portal after averaging 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. He also flashed real scoring punch in a 33-point game against Providence in his second career outing, when he made five of eight 3-point attempts and added six assists.
That production came with some uneven shooting. Avdalas shot 38.6 percent overall and 31.4 percent from 3-point range, while taking almost a fifth of his shots from the midrange and making 30.8 percent of those attempts. He also committed just 1.7 fouls per 40 minutes, according to KenPom, and Virginia Tech outscored opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
Malone formally accepted the UNC job less than a week before Avdalas' commitment, and the addition comes as North Carolina had been the sixth-tallest team in the country this season, according to KenPom, before adding the Greek prospect. Avdalas arrived in college basketball as one of last spring's top international recruits, and his profile gives North Carolina a versatile piece as it begins to reshape the roster around a coach who won the 2023 NBA title with the Denver Nuggets.
The next question is how quickly Avdalas can translate his all-around game into a larger role in Chapel Hill, and whether North Carolina can keep building after landing a player with both pedigree and production in the unc basketball transfer portal.
